Mayurakkhi, Your offering-Novel on Human Love

MAYURAKKHI, YOUR OFFERING – A NOVEL ON HUMAN
LOVE AND PASSIONtc "Mayurakkhi, Your Offering – A Novel On Human Love And Passion"

Harsha Dutt’s most significant and highly acclaimed novel is Mayarakkhi Tumi Dile (Mayurakkhi Your Offering). Here his creative talent reveals him as the most powerful novelist in the present generation of Bengali novel-writing. The novel speaks volumes of his superb craftsmanship engraved in unique style of story-telling and exceptional subject – matter. Among the other novels Kushpatar Deul, Rajkanya, Vikarna, Margareet – Ai Suryalok, Asesh Karecha Tuni etc this particular one has surpassed his all other creations in quality and popularity. If he did not write any other novel, he would be forever kept in the minds of the Bengali readers for this singular attempt. Harsha here has achieved the zenith of excellence and manipulated the whole subject as a skilled literary craftsman. From the beginning to the end the novel indeed has the captivating strength to hold the reader’s attention for Bengali novel, there is an enriched tradition where Bankim Chandra’s ‘Anandamath’, Tagore’s ‘Ghare Baire’, Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay’s ‘Devdas’, Bimal Mitra’s Saheb Bibi Golum, Tarashankar Bandopadhyay’s ‘Ganadevata’ have made history and prepared the golden path for the literary descendants. Consuming that traditional past with heart’s content Harsha’s career has been nourished and matured. A beautiful blending of tradition and modernity has added to his creative works a unique style of artistic beauty. His style is obviously traditional but his presentation is modern. Moreover in ‘Mayurakkhi, Your Offereing’ Harsha does not accept any western model based on magic realism or reporting facts of the latest fashion. On the other hand following the traditional method he has restricted himself to the root of indigenous social realism. He wants to make the same a real documentation of man – woman relationship rooted in our society. Through the method of stream of consciousness he has delved deep into the romantic minds of the younger generation.   
The central theme of the novel is love and with dexterity Harsha has shown how emotion eventually surrenders to passion. Here love means not merely the ordinary physical relationship but an eternal glorification through love – incarnate, Mayurakkhi. The novel first published in 1989 has become the bestseller. An intensive study of the text gradually unfolds the mysterious character of the heroine, Mayurakkhi. Symbolising the female image covered in the disguise of light and shade as generally portrayed in Tagore’s several paintings she appears to her three male-partners – Suneet, Hayat and Chayan. Though they are good friends and students of Art College, they planned to possess her whenever they get the chance. But Mayurakkhi is not a woman of that kind. In this mysterious game of love she alone plays the role of primitive force and tactfully controls the hidden passion of her three intimate friends. Using Flash method Harsha gradually opens up the inner psychology lying deep in the minds of the four youths. They become involved in the recollection of their past life, their enjoyment of the natural beauty at Mirpur village, their coming close with each other, the quick passing of seven days  and finally what they will carry away with them as something really memorable before their return in the stereotyped professional life. When their weekly trip at Mirpur almost comes to an end, that unforgettable night in the paddy field under full – moon shower they sit and get engaged in wonderful retrospection. In the ground of natural beauty they gradually open up themselves.
After that they come to their home-city in Kolkata. They try to forget their previous trip full of outward thrill and romance.  Though there is an underlying tragic feeling of separation and loss, they try to forget it.  But Mayurakkhi cannot.   Hayat’s sudden death almost makes her life shattered and cumbersome with sorrow. As far as possible she remains silent and indifferent.  Suneet, who loves her most, tries to console her and wants to begin a happy life ultimately marrying her.  But in the climax of the novel Mayurakkhi confesses the tragic truth that she is pregnant and she had to commit this pre-marital courtship in the eternal embracing of Hayat because he was unhappy in his conjugal life and ready to commit suicide.  She offers him new life and Mayurakkhi’s offering is in the manner of eternal love and wish-fulfilment. Mayurakkhi has kept his word, but she cannot save Hayat.  He dies suddenly in a confusion of either car-accident or intentional suicide. But she still feels her beloved Hayat within her-self and one day she must give him birth.

In a sub-plot Chayan, a little junior to Mayurakkhi was betrayed by his lady-love and decided to commit suicide.  But as a symbol of indomitable life-force, she aroused within him hope of survival.   Moreover, she is an artist whose only motto is to create not to destroy.  And till the last nobody knows about the actual father of her child.  Suneet cannot believe this incredible truth.  He cried and asked “Why did you not abort the unwanted child?  Whatever you deserved at last failed….” Mayurakkhi’s quiet reply – “I did it informing you everything.  But today this is quite impossible.  I can’t let Hayat die for the second time.  He survives in his own offspring.  This is my only victory, my only gain of self-surrender”.  Finally Suneet accepts her as his own wife. This time they arranged a honey-moon trip as well as a permanent settlement at Mirpur again and forever.

So far as man-woman relationship is concerned the text reveals the truth that nothing can stand in the way of real love. Apart from Chayan in this triangular love story Hayat, Mayurakkhi and Suneet play the pivotal role.  It never appears that Mayurkkhi is a symbol of lost virginity and unchaste womanhood for her illegal relationship with Hayat betraying her own lover, Suneet but as a brave woman who accepts a married muslim youth suffering from agonized loneliness without any racial prejudice.  She knows very well that she may be refused by Suneet and rejected by her own Hindu society as a fallen woman.  Moreover, her only religion is to love humanity with broad mind and a secular outlook.  Harsha tries to convey this noble message of secularism.  There is also a sea change in Suneet’s mind in his liberal acceptance: “Suppose, this is my child”.  Even the ground of Mirpur village full of natural beauty and old myths is also responsible to change the self-centered urban mentality of the four young people and gives them the ultimate chance to open up their hidden desires of mind and helps them unite intimately.